


They Spend All Their Time Teaching

by diacoconoits



Category: Pocket Monsters SPECIAL | Pokemon Adventures
Genre: Alternate Universe - Teachers, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-30
Updated: 2019-11-30
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:06:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21621943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/diacoconoits/pseuds/diacoconoits
Summary: short stories that rarely describe them teaching
Relationships: Odamaki Sapphire | Sapphire Birch/Ruby, Red/Yellow (Pokemon)
Kudos: 12





	They Spend All Their Time Teaching

**Author's Note:**

> i wrote this several years ago, it might be trash!

"I think you're in love with the field teacher."

Ruby blinked. "Who?"

Through the slightly dirty lenses in his glasses he stared at the short man beside him. He was the one person he knew who wasn't a teacher, who was in his mid-twenties and still passed as a twelve-year-old, and who hinted that he disliked pokémon with a passion. This man was odd, but somewhat whimsical in Ruby's eyes, and he understood why the school called him in to speak to young adults. 

"You know."

"You're mistaken—I don't know."

"Whatever you say," the man said, frowning, but there was a hint of laughter in his green eyes. Ruby shook his head and returned to gazing at his work until it was finished. If he was being honest, pokémon battles were never his thing—not recently, at least—but apparently his skill was too good to be wasted. Teaching it was an extreme pain. 

"Emerald?" Ruby asked, glancing down at the floor. He was tinkering with something, rattling and shaking it and bouncing it off the wall. At the sound of his name he looked up, annoyed.

"Yes, lover boy?" 

"Is it really that obvious?"

Emerald's deep frown morphed into a snarky smirk. Ruby hated the sight of it. "Yes," he said, "but Sapphire is a mess—she doesn't notice."

Ruby pressed his lips together, staring out the windows of his classroom. It was after hours, and hopefully most students had gone home. "We have a messy past."

Suddenly, Emerald raised his voice, hissing, "So?" Ruby's gaze returned to him, feeling startled and uneasy. "Saying the 'past is the past' is quite stupid to me, because we all know the past bleeds into the present. But Ruby, if you really wanted this, you'd make it work. And she would too. If I hear another dumbass excuse from you, it's over."

The red-eyed boy gulped, his nerves racing at the sudden mood shift. He squirmed under Emerald's judging glare, the one he'd see nearly everyday, but had never quite gotten used to. Though quite undetectable, Ruby felt the affection and wisdom in his words. He had gained the friendship of someone very aloof; he was brimming with satisfaction.

"I appreciate that," Ruby murmured.

Unexpectedly, the door to his classroom flew open. He'd never seen the door swing like that—uninhibited and wild, managing to strain the doorstopper on the wall and create a massive slam. His mouth gaped open, Ruby stared into the doorway, straight at the woman with reckless scars and dark freckles like stars.

Even if he could speak, he wouldn't. Truthfully, he was frozen and anything he could say in that moment would make it worse. Emerald simply stared ahead, seemingly irritated but not surprised.

"Ruby!" she yelled, approaching fast, mouth moving fast, approaching fast, approaching fast— 

"Mmm," Ruby mumbled.

"What is it, Sapphire?" Emerald said. He had this certain public speaker voice: long, drawn-out syllables and exaggerated tone shifts. 

Sapphire blinked. "Nothin'," she said, before spluttering, "wait, no—my room's been trashed and its all your fault!"

Ruby's eyes widened. What was she on about? "You don't even have a room," he growled, regaining his voice.

"I do have'a room!" she yelled, screaming so close into his face he thought he might explode. He couldn't quite understand why he got so angry—he thought he loved her.

"So? Some of us are busy, Sapphire—I don't have time to do silly shit like that," he sneered, his voice low but slick with condescendence.

Sapphire growled, gritting her teeth. Ruby was staring at her, like he always was, and he always found the tiny fang she had strange. "I don't trust anythin' ya say, anyway," she said remorsefully, turning to leave. Thankfully, she didn't slam the door shut, and Ruby was reminded that anyone in the hallway was exposed to their rambling, childish exchange.

And that look on her face? It killed him. 

Ruby pressed his face into the table, letting out a groan that sounded similar to a sob. He heard Emerald stand from his position on the floor and felt his hands placing whatever he was messing with on his head of meticulously combed black hair. He was too exasperated to care.

"She's in love with you," Emerald said, sarcasm thick in his voice. "Why wouldn't she be?"

"Don't try to cheer me up," Ruby muttered, muffled.

"Oh, I wasn't trying to," he stated, "Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Can you close the blinds? And shut the door on the way out?"

"I'm not your maid, Ruby," Emerald hissed before saying, "Fine."

And with that, he did was he was told—at least, Ruby thought he did—and left Ruby alone.

...

Sapphire didn't have to open the door this time. She was surprised to find the door to Ruby's classroom slightly ajar, knowing how strict he was about keeping it closed. She couldn't understand it—something about air conditioning and outside germs and private conversations.

She was more taken aback by the way he was slouched over his tidy desk in the front of the room, his cheek against the table and the other exposed to the light. And, oh, if he knew, Sapphire was sure he'd complain about UV rays and more things she didn't understand. His eyes were shut, and his eyelids twitched in his sleep. She swore she'd never seen him so unrestrained.

So, quietly, she stepped towards the windows and silently twisted the blinds down. She swung the curtains over the window, as carefully as she could, and was amazed by how much they blocked out the sunlight. 

Next, she tiptoed towards the white couch near his desk, the one he swore detention over if anyone sat in it. As a result, and it was effortlessly clean, free of stains or seat marks. There was a blanket thrown over the top of it; she grabbed it.

The closer to Ruby she became, the more her heart raced. If he woke up, she really didn't know what she would say. She didn't want to face the embarrassment of helping someone she often considered her enemy. There was some other feeling, something tingling in her stomach, that she couldn't describe.

Draping the throw over his shoulders, she held her breath as his mouth slightly gaped open. He didn't talk in his sleep, but he let out a whisper of a sigh. Sapphire released her breath and stepped out of the room as quickly as possible, being certain to shut the door behind her. She knew he couldn't find out about this or she wouldn't hear the end of it. Because, of course, he hated her.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading!


End file.
